Carbonating apparatus.



A. L. KOENIG.

GARBONATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1910.

Patented June 4, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y A. L. KOENIG. GARBONATING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOIj FILED SEPT.v, 1910.

Patented June 4, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y ALPHONSQ L. KOENIG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

' CARBONATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed September 7, 1910. Serial No. 580,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHoNso L. KOENIG,

a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Huntaining vessel automatically asother, previously carbonated, liquid is dispensed from said vessel.

In the accompanying. drawings, Figure 1 is a broken side view of theapparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the gasreceiving chamber; Fig. 3 is an enlar ed iorizontal section of theapparatus taken above the valve chest; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionon the line 4'4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the lowerportion of the apparatus taken in a plane at right angles to that ofFig. 4, the foot plate bemg depressed, the upper portionof the sectionthrough the valve chest being taken through the discharge spout; Fig. 6is a similar section taken through the gas and liquid supply valves, thefoot plate being raised; Fig. 7 is a broken bottom plan view of therubber disk; Fig. 8 is a broken top plan view thereof, in an unstretchedcondition Fig. 9 is a similar view of the same in the stretchedcondition, as sho-wnin Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a section on the line 1010 ofFig. 8; Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is asection on the line 12- 12 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a receptacle in general of acylindrical form, substantially closed at the top, the lower end beingopen and flaring downwardly, as shown at 2, and terminating in acylindrical base 3. Said base is formed with an internal downwardlyfacing annular shoulder 4 against which rests the edge of a circularperforated disk 5 of rubber. The character of these perforations will behereinafter more particularly described. At present it is suflicient tosay that the compressed gas is pressed upward through the perforationsin the disk and is thus caused to enter the liquid above the disk invery minute streams, thereby thoroughly carbonating the liquid. Saiddisk is secured in place by a metal disk 6, which in turn is secured bya plug 7, screwed, as shown at 8, into the extreme lower end ofsaid'base, the joint between the disk 6 and the base being made air andwater tight by a rubber gasket 9, beneath which gasket is a metal washer10 against which presses the plug 7. Said rubber disk 5 is supportedagainst upward pressure by a support 11, consisting of concentric rings12 and 13, 14 and 15, which are in turn supported by cross members .16and radial members 17. The center of the rubber disk is supported by adownwardly extending stud 18.- The cross and radial members aresupported against upward pressure by their beveled outer ends 19 restingagainst the flaring portion 2 ofthe receptacle.

Formed in one piece with the base is a valve chest 20 having therein aliquid supply chamber 21, closed by a cap 22, and supplied with liquidthrough a conduit 23, from a pipe 24, having a check valve 49 therein,said supply chamber being connected with the interior of the receptacleabove the rubber disk by a conduit 25, and controlled by a valve 26adapted to seat upon a valve seat 27 said valve being pressed towardsaid seat by a spring 28. The valve chest is also formed with acompressed gas chamber 30, supplied with gas by a conduit 31 from acompressed gas pipe 32, and connected with the interior of thereceptacle below said rubber disk by a conduit 33 formed in the chestand connected with a conduit 34 forn'ied in the metal disk 6, and havingseparate openings 35. The concentric rings 14 and 15 and the stud 18 areof less depth than the concentric rings 12 and 14, and the annularshoulder 4, and, in consequence, when sufficient gaseous pressure 1sapplied to the under side of said rubber disk 5, said disk within theconcentric ring 12, andbetween said ring 12 and the ring 13, and betweenthe ring 13 and the annular shoulder 4 is raised, until its'uppersurface impinges against the stud 18 and the lower edges of the rings 14and 15. It thus forms three concentric annular gas chambers, and it iswithin these chambers that the open: ings 35 respectively enter. Thepassage of the gas into said conduit 33 is controlled by a valve 36adapted to seat upon a valve seat 37 and pressed toward said seat by aspring 38. The valves 26 and 36 are secured respectively to valve .stems39 and 40, which are normally pressed upward, so as to hold said valvesfrom said seats, by a foot plate 41 beneath the valve chest andconnected to a vertical stem 42 passing through the valve chest, theupper end of the stem being supplied with a handle 43. Said foot plateis also connected to two stems 44, which pass through said valve chest,and carry thereon a disk 45, there being interposed between said valvechest and disk springs 46, the strength of which is greaterthan thecornbined strength of the springs 28 and 38, so that said stems arenormally pressed upward, and the valves are normally raised from theirseats. However, when the handle is depressed by the operator, overcomingthe excess pressure of the springs 46, then said springs 28 and 38depress the valves 26, 36,,on to their seats, and close thecommifnications between the liquid and gas su plies and the interior ofthe receptacle. t is very desirable to permlt of the escape of thecompressed gas from beneath the rubber disk before discharging theliquid from the receptacle. This gas is at a very high pressure, as 100pounds,- and, therefore, if not released, before the pressure in themain portion of the receptacle is reduced to, say, 2 pounds, there willbe a great strain upon the rubber disk and the parts supporting thesame. For this reason I adopt the following construction. The valve stem40 for the gas supply conduitis formed with a longitudinal conduit 47,opening at-its upper end in. the side of said stem and at its lower endinthe end of said stem, and, when the valve 36 of said stem is depressedto its seat, the upper end of said conduit 47 is in register with theconduit 33; When the handle 43 is depressed lower than required topermit the resting of the valve 36, the foot plate is also depressed tosuch an ex tent, that, after the valve 36 is closed, and the stem 40 canno longer descend, said foot plate is out of contact with said stem 40,and

compressed gas can escape by said conduit 33 from the end of said stem.A valve seat 48 of rubber maintains said conduit closed in the normalposition of said stem.

' In order to replace the volume of liquid that is drawn from thereceptacle, it is absolutely necessary to reduce or remove from the topof the receptacle the accumulated gas under high ressure. Therefore Iemploy the following construction. On depressing the handle 43, the disk45 is adapted to engage the upper end of a valve stem .50 passingthrough a stufling box 51 in the valve chest and connected with itslower end with a valve 52 which s'eats upwardly upon a seat 53, beingpressed upward to its seat by a spring 54 engaged by a cap 55, screwedvalve chest and connected at its inner end with a pipe 59 within thereceptacle and leading to the top of said receptacle. The depression ofthe handle, therefore, by depressing said valve from its seat,permitscompressed gas, which may have accumulated in the top of thereceptacle 1, to escape therefrom into said chamber 57. However, inorder to prevent entrance at any time of atmospheric air into thereceptacle, I do not, as has heretofore been the custom permit said gasto escape intothe atmosphere. With this object'in view I adopt thefollowing construction.

The chamber 57 connects with a short pipe 62 upon which is connected theend of a hose 63 which is connected at its other end to a short pipe 64leading into the end of a cylindrical vessel 65 open at the other end.

Fitting closely'in said vessel and sliding ingnormally pressed againstthe end of saidcasing by a spring 73 between the outer end of saidcasing and a foot 74 on said stem. In saidvessel 65 is a rubber bag 75,the wall of which has two openings on opposite sides,

in one of which is secured the end of the short pipe 64 connected withthe hose 63, the other being secured to the casing 67, the wall ofsaid'bag being secured between said casing and head. Upon depressing thehandle 43, and thus operating the valve 52, the carbonic acid gas fromthe top of the receptacle 1 passes by said valve 52 and hose 63 into thebag 75 and thus expands said bag. When the bag is fully expanded, thefoot 74 of the valve stem impinges against an arm 76 secured upon theside of the vessel 65, and when the pressure in the bag exceeds thepressure of the spring 73, the arm 76 presses upon the foot 74 of thevalve stem and opens said'valve 71, allowing the gas to escape throughthe apertures 69 whereupon the bag immediately collapses to an extentsuflicient to withdraw the foot 74 from said arm 76, and close the valve71, so 1 86. Immediately therefore, after the com-' pressed gas has beenexhausted from the upper end of the receptacle and a pressure of abouttwo pounds is left in said receptacle the liquid is permitted to flowthrough said discharge pipe 85.

It might be possible,.by depressing the handle 43, very rapidly, thatthe valve 82 opening the discharge conduit would be opened before thepressure in the carbonator had dropped from a very high pressure, say,of 100 pounds, to a pressureof only two pounds, as determined by thepressure of the spring 73. If said handle is operatedslowly, thecompressed gas will'escape with such rapidity that this could not be thecase, but, if operated very rapidly could not so escape, and inconsequence the liquid would rush out with great violence. To preventthis I provide a valve 99 having a valve stem 91 passing through anapertured wall 93 and pressed out'by a spring 94, said valve 99 beingadapted to close the end of the conduit 85. This spring is strong enoughto overcome a pressure of two pounds in the liquid, but, if the pressurein the liquid be greater than two pounds, the valve will be maintainedclosed upon its seat and the liquid cannot escape.

From the above description the mode of operation of the several valveswill be readily understood. On the first part of the downward movementof the handle, the foot plate 41 will leave the ends of the stems 39,40, and the valves 26 and 36 controlling the water and gas supply willbe automatically closed by the springs 28 and 38.

Upon a further movement of the handle the foot plate will leave'the endof the stem 40 and thereupon the gas will escape from below I the rubberdisk '5. Immediately thereafter the disk descendsupon the top of thestein 50, opening the-valve'52 and allowing the compressed gas to flowinto the rubber-bag and to escape from said bag if the pressure exceedsabout two pounds; The pressure in the main body of the receptacle is nowreduced to about two pounds, and upon further descent of .the handle,the assage to the discharge spout is opened, permitting the liquid toflow by pressure of the rubber bag. As the liquid is drawn off throughsaid dispensing spout, its place is supplied by the carbonic acid gaswhich is stored up in the bag under pressure, and which returns into theupper portion of the receptacle by the pipe 59. However, if'it bedesired to discharge a stream of liquid under great prespressure abovethe disk.

sure, a siphon 95 is provided depending from the top of the receptacleand connecting with a siphon discharge pipe 90 at said top.

The rubber disk is formed with numerous minute holes 97. The carbonicacid gas passing through said holes is thoroughly sub-divided andpermeates the liquid above said holes. An important feature of theinvention consists in the form of these holes. Said holes taper downwardwhen the rubber disk is subjected to upward pressure for the followingreason. The carbonation of water cannot be effected by passing the gasthrough minute holes in a disk unless the pressure'below the disk isonly very slightly, say one-ha1f of a pound, in excess of the The reasonfor this is that the gas on passing through the minute hole, immediatelyexpands if arriving at a region of considerably lower pressure, and thenthe bubble of gas becomes too large to carbonate the water, ascendingtoo rapidly to the surface of the water. It is only when the pressure onthe two sides of the disk are very nearly equal, so that the gas doesnot expand materially on arriving at the upper side of the disk, thatthe resistance of the water to the passage upward of the gas issufficient to cause said water to be carbonated Since in order toeffectively carbonate the water the carbon dioxid gas must be suppliedto the carbonator under a very small difference in pressure, weencounter the difi'iculty that, if the holes through which the gasenters are sufliciently minute to furnish the gas in bubbles which willnot rise too rapidly to the surface of the water, they are also sominute that the gas will enter the carbonator very slowly. But it isimport-ant for commercial purposes that the water in the carbonatorshould be recarbonated quickly after a portion has been withdrawntherefrom; With minute holes of the ordinary form having parallel sidesgas does not enter quickly because the pres sure causing the'gas toenter is almost balanced by the friction against said sides. I avoidthis difliculty by making said holes expanding upward. By so doing thegas, af-

ter passing the bottom of the hole, does not come in contact with itssides. -Therefore the pressure forcing the gas into the water, is onlythat required to cause the gas to pass the entrance to said hole and notto force it along the sides of said hole. Having once passed theentrance it does not come in contact with the walls of the hole butimmediately passes into the water. There is therefore no chance-for it'to cling to the rubber l until a large bubble is formed. Consequentlythe water can be quickly carbonated.

When the rubber disk is not under pressure, the holes 97 are mere tapercuts made downward in the rubber by a thin knife, ta-

pering from the upper portion to the point. The lengthwise direction ofthe cuts is along circular lines concentric with the rings 12, 13, 14,15. The cut made by such a knife correspondingly tapers, but is closedby the rubber, unless the disk is stretched. When the rubber disk ispressed upwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, then, since the rubber stretchesonly in direct-ions extending radially from the center of the disk, theupper ends of said cuts expand in a direction transverse to said circlesmore than do the lower ends, so that said cuts thenbecome downwardlytapering holes.

An important feature ofthe invention is that the base of the receptacle,immediately above the perforated rubber disk, converges upward. For thisreason the particles of gas passing through the rubber disk are causedto converge and therefore to more thoroughly permeate and carbonate theliquid In order to permit the tube 59 to pass to the conduit 58 theouter ring 15 is cut away on the under side, as shown at 100 and sincethis removal of a portion of the ring tends to unduly weaken the same,said ring is extended, upwardly between adjacent radial and crossmembers, as shown at 101 in Figs. 5 and 6 to come in cont-act with theflaring portion of the base to be supported thereby.

I claim 1. In a carbonator, a'receptacle, means for supplying liquid tosaid receptacle, a rubber perforated partition closing said receptacle,and means for passing compressed gas through said perforations into saidreceptacle, said perforations being of greater size at the gas outletthan at the gas inlet, substantially as described.

2. In a carbonator, the combination of a receptacle for the liquid,means for admitting into said receptacle minute streams of compressedgas, consisting of perforated rubber, the perforations being larger atthe gas outlet than at the inlet, and means for supplying compressed gasto' said inlet ends, substantially as described' I 3. The combination ofa liquid receptacle, a rubber disk closing the bottom of saidreceptacle, means for admitting liquid to said receptacle, and means foradmitting compressed gas below said rubber disk, said rubber disk beingformed with perforations larger at the upper endthan at the lower,substantially as described.

4. The combination of a receptacle having a. flaring lower portion, aperforated rubber disk secured insaid lower portion, a support abovesaid disk, the upper portion of said support abutting, against saidflaring portion, means for admitting liquid 'to said receptacle abovesaid disk, and means for admitting compressed gas to the lower side .ofsaid disk, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a liquid receptacle, a perforated rubber diskclosing the bottom of said receptacle, and a support for the upper sideof said disk comprising concentric rings alternating in depth, means forsupplying liquid to said receptacle above said disk andmeans forsupplying compressed gas below said disk, sald means having a series ofoutlets corresponding to the several concentric rings of less depth, substantially as described. Y

6. The combination of a liquid receptacle flaring at the bottom, aperforated rubber disk closing the bottom of said receptacle, a supportfor said disk comprising concentric rings, cross pieces above saidrings, the outer ends of said cross pieces being beveled to rest againstsaid flaring portion, means for supplying liquid to said rece tacleabove said disk, and means for'suppying compressed gas below said disk,substantially as described.

7. The combination of a liquid receptacle flaring at the bottom, aperforatedrubber rings, the outer ends of said cross pieces beingbeveled to rest against said flarlng portion, means for supplying liquidto said receptacle above said disk, and means for supplying compressedgas below said disk,

substantially as described.

8. A carbonator having a vent pipe for the carbonic acid gas leadingfrom the upper portion thereof, and an elastic bag connected to saidvent pipe, said carbonator having a discharge outlet, a valve forcontrolling said outlet, a valve for controlling the passage of gasthrough the vent pipe, and unitary .means for opening both of saidvalves in a single operation, substantially as described.

9. A carbonator having a vent pipe leading from the upper portlonthereof, a Valve controlling said vent pipe, an elasticbag'connectedwith said vent pipe through said valve, a valve for opening. saidelastic bag to the atmosphere, and means for opening said valve when thegas in said bag contains a predetermined degree of pressure,substantially as described. 7

10. In combination with a carbonator, an expansible receptacle for thecarbonic acid gas from said carbonator, a connection from saidreceptacle to the top of the carbonator, a valve'controllmg saidconnection, a discharge outlet for the carbonator, a valve forsaidreceptacleto the top of the carbonator,

controlling the same, and unitary means for a valve for controlling thepassage from the carbonator to the receptacle, a valve for dis chargingthe liquid from the receptacle, and means for automatically actuatingsaid first valve before the second, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a carbonator, an expansible receptacle for thecarbonic acid gas from said carbonator, and a connection from saidreceptacle to the top of the carbonator, and an escape valve from saidreceptacle to the atmosphere opening automatically when said receptacleattains a predetermined size, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a receptacle, a perforated rubber disk closingsaid receptacle, means for admitting liquid to said receptacle, meansfor admitting compressed gas to the outer side of said disk, and meansfor automatically closing the liquid and gas supply and permitting theescape into the atmosphere of as on the outer side of said disk,substantially as described.

14. The combination of a receptacle for containing carbonated liquid,means for re- 7 leasing the carbonic acid gas from the upper portion ofsaid receptacle, a discharge conduit for the liquid, a valve forcontrolling said discharge conduit, and means operated by the pressurein the receptacle for automatically maintaining said valve closed whensaid pressure exceeds a predetermined degree, substantially asdescribed.

15. The combination of a receptacle for carbonated liquid, means forreleasing the carbonic acid gas from the upper portion of p thereceptacle, a discharge conduit for the liquid, a valve for controllingsaid conduit,

a valve adapted to be actuated by the pressure in the receptacle toclose sald'conduit, and a spring 'for opposing said motion of saidlatter valve, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

'ALPHONSO L. KOENIG.

Witnesses:

' FRANCIS W. WRIGHT,

D. B. RICHARDS.

